


The Dead Who Wander Palace Halls

by RoseDragonWitch



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Death, Deep Dungeon, Finding Peace, Forgiveness, Gen, Grief, Insanity, Mental Health Issues, Necromancy, Other, Palace of the Dead, Salvation, Suicide, anguish, letting go, release
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24899152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseDragonWitch/pseuds/RoseDragonWitch
Summary: The Warrior of Light has been hearing the rumors of a ghost haunting the shadows of Gridania, but has no desire to look into that while the end of the Dragonsong war is looming upon the horizon. However, on her way out of the Canopy, she hears an interesting rumor of a seemingly endless maze of corridors and rooms deep in the Gelmorran ruins and decides to check it out. As she descends deep underground, she quickly finds that this strange place seemed to be filled with rooms changing their places and monsters roaming the hallways. As well as the souls of the dead crying out for release. Someone wicked is behind this and so it's up to her to find out who and help those lost souls find peace... including that of a young girl who seems to have become more a vengeful ghost than a person now.
Kudos: 4





	1. The House that Death Built

**Was bored this last week and I thought… what the hell?**

**Takes place between 3.2 and 3.3 before the end of the Dragonsong War.**

**Major Spoiler Alert if you haven’t played through Tam-Tara Deepcroft Hard mode and the Palace of the Dead!**

**Full of death and the undead.**

**If you're alright with that, then please enjoy!**

**End of Warnings**

_“Oh, before I forget! There's a lass here who wants a word with you,” Momodi said before she gestured for someone to come closer, and added, “Didn't actually know your name, but hearin' her description, I knew who she meant right away.”_

_Claire turned in time to see a young woman approach, and she was taken aback with no small amount of surprise. While this was the first time they met face-to-face she recognized the girl at once—though the last time she saw her, the girl had been in tears when she had been abandoned by her comrades at the Carline Canopy. The same young conjurer who had lost someone she cared about in the Tam-Tara Deepcroft._

_“Hello,” Claire said to the girl, who blushed nervously._

_“Th-Thank you for sparing the time,” the girl stuttered. “I realize you don't know me, but I've been longing to speak with you for a while now. My name is Edda. I'm an adventurer like you, though I'm...not very good at being one, if truth be told.”_

_Now she was sure that wasn’t true… though after remembering seeing how her so-called ‘comrades’ treated her before, she could understand why she would be putting herself down._

_“Anyway, I was adventuring with my friends in Gridania when...when...” Edda rubbed her eyes a little and became downcast as she mumbled, “I-I'm sorry. We were in Gridania...when the leader of our party was killed.”_

_She didn’t speak as she could tell that Edda was struggling with this but wanted desperately to confess her woes to someone._

_“His name was Avere, and he and I...were to be wed in the spring,” she finally choked out and Claire felt her heart constrict in sorrow for her plight but knew that this was not something that she could help her with. “You may not remember him, but to say that he remembered you would be an understatement. He would sing your praises from dawn to dusk.”_

_Claire honestly had no idea that someone out there would look up to her in such a way and she felt her face turn a little red as she replied, “I don’t know what to say but… thank you.”_

_This seemed to please Edda and she said, “He saw you for what you are, you see—an adventurer's adventurer—and swore that he would be like you one day.” But the smile soon faded away to be replaced with a sadness in her eyes as she looked down to the floor, continuing, “I believe that he would have succeeded...had a fiend not robbed him of the chance. Since that day, I have thought long and hard about giving up adventuring.”_

_Claire opened her mouth, though she wasn’t entirely sure what she could say to help ease this pain. She wanted to encourage her to do what she felt was right, and to continue on for both her and Avere’s sake, but how can you tell someone you just met something like that? But Edda looked up, a new determination in her eyes as she went on, “But when I think of the woman you are—of all that you've achieved – I find that I am inspired, just as Avere once was. And so I've decided to start again as an adventurer. I will go back to the village of my birth and begin my training anew. But I wanted to meet you first... to ask you your name.”_

_Again, Claire was startled by this, but she couldn’t help but beam back as she told her kindly, “Again, I’m not sure what to say but… thank you. But my name is Claire Faye. And I wish you the best of luck wherever you go, Edda.”_

_And for the first time, true happiness seemed to shine from within Edda, some of the hurt fading from her face as she curtseyed back._

_“Claire Faye...I shan't forget,” she promised, “Thank you, Claire Faye. I pray that we will meet again. Fare you well!”_

How could it have gone so wrong?

How could that girl, who held so much sadness but hope, fall so far?

_That same girl who was dressed in those dusty white clothes as she stood upon the platform in the Deepcroft with her beloved’s name written in blood on the stone beneath her as countless red, wedding candles had been lit around her._

_She knelt in prayer before looking high to the dark ceiling above them as something moved about in a dark orb of aether. She watched in horror as it slowly fell to the earth below it and burst free to reveal a horrid creature that was no different to a voidsent… more a massive head with bat-like wings and tendrils that looked more like intestine drifted about it like makeshift arms._

_It seemed to be oozing grotesquely… but Edda welcomed it with open arms, stroking its face lovingly as it wrapped it’s tendrils around her as she cooed to it._

_“Look, Avere! All these people have come to make you a gift of their souls! Isn’t that kind of them? Even Claire is here! Now your dream of becoming like her can come true!”_

That poor girl… just what could have happened to have turned her into such a creature?

_“Thank you ever so much for coming to our wedding! Your body means the world to Avere! Hm? Where are our witnesses? The ceremony can’t begin without them!”_

_Edda called as Claire ran forward to deal with the creature… hoping against hope that if she could bring it down, perhaps she could snap Edda out of whatever madness that gripped her. But Edda just laughed joyfully as the monster that was her beloved and twirled about the platform._

_“Your wait is over, my love! All you have ever dreamed is right here!” she cried before she began to recite her wedding vows, “To have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer… in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish… till death us do part!”_

She had to be stopped… for her sake if nothing else. It had to be done…?

But when she finally dealt the final blow and watched as whatever was left of Avere dissolved in a cloud of darkness. Claire turned to Edda, ready to drag her out of here and get her the help that she desperately needed.

_“What… what have you done? Aveeeerrrreeee! Noooooo!”_

_Edda… she backed away from her in both shock in horror as the helm of her dress caught fire from the candles before she went tumbling over the edge._

It had to be done though.

Not that it made it any easier to watch.

_But as she looked on through the dark, surrounded by candles, the images changed so that suddenly Edda was standing before her again. Only this time it was of that same venerable girl she met that day in Ul’dah. Claire stared at this figure of Edda who looked at her with tears in her eyes before she staggered towards her. Claire was startled but held out her arms to catch the girl as she fell against her, gripping onto her tightly as she cried._

_“Help…” she croaked out, “Set us free… we wish to go home.”_

I will…

*End of Dream*

Claire’s eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, gasping for air. She was shaking and feeling sweat falling from her face as she stared around her, trying to remember where she was… for a heart-stopping moment she feared that she was back in the Deepcroft… but then she saw the fragile candle by the open window and she let out a sigh of relief when she recognized the room.

Her room at the Carline Canopy.

Claire moved her sweaty hair out of her face as she slowly came back to reality as she reminded herself that those terrible events happened several moons ago. That it had been over with what happened at the Deepcroft…?

But…?

She sighed as she pushed back her covers, and went to her bag that she dropped on the floor by the door and began to rummage around inside. When she returned to her bed, she turned on the small lantern on the table next to her so that she could look over the book once more… having been examining it from time to time since escaping the Deepcroft a second time.

Entry 1:

_I finally mustered the courage to speak with your hero, my love. Claire is as kind and wise as she is brave and strong. She listened attentively as I told her all about you—about us._ _Though she is a woman of few words, or perhaps because she is, everything she said seemed to inspire me. Why, her gaze alone instilled me with a confidence I never knew I had. Truly, I feel better prepared to face the future for having met her. How right you were, my love._

Could she have done more for her? Was it a bad thing that she tried to reassure her and encourage her to move on with her life? She turned the page where the date was labeled almost a week later since they spoke.

_Entry 2:_

_Scarcely a week has passed since we returned to the village, and already I cannot help thinking it was a mistake. There was a time when this place seemed just large enough. But having seen the wider world, it all feels so insufferably confined that I often find myself struggling for breath._

_I know that it is the same for you, my love._

_The only time I feel truly alive is when I am adventuring with you. We are as caged birds in this backwater. So long as we remain here, we will never spread our wings and soar. So let us take to the road and create a lifetime of wonderful memories together._

This was another feeling she knew all too well. She hated staying on one place… she had wanted to see more. But it was this entry that began to show that something was going wrong. It would have been one thing if she was writing it addressed to her beloved in a way to deal with her grief… she knew that there were some who did that, as if writing letters to someone they cared about whom they lost.

At first glance, this entry seemed innocent enough… other than the fact that the pages were splashed with blood and she knew that there was nothing that could be done with Avere.

She flipped forward.

_Entry 3:_

_I could not have hoped for a more romantic first visit to Mor Dhona. The crystals that pierce the landscape glowed in all their majesty, as if to celebrate our future together. And as we lazed by Silvertear Lake, watching the waves lapping at the shore, the sun took its leave behind the horizon, that we might enjoy a moment of intimacy._

_‘I want us to be together forever.’ You first said these words to me years ago, and you said them to me again tonight. I am so happy to be with you._

_Entry 4:_

_You have been looking deathly pale of late. The scorching heat of Thanalan does not agree with you. You were never fond of hot climes, and it was a mistake to come here. Let us make for Coerthas, where the bracing air will put roses on your cheeks._

Claire shook her head at that as she continued turning the pages as traces of Edda’s sanity was clearly showing signs of slipping by with every entry she made.

_Entry 5:_

_I know, I know - It is not easy being without a body. I promise to find one for you, but you must have patience. You are my husband-to-be, and there is nothing I would not do for you, so please, have faith in me. Give me time, my love, and I shall make you whole again, as you make me._

But who was she talking to? From the way that it sounded it was as if the head was actually speaking to her, but how could that be? Could Edda’s mind had truly broken to such a point that she was convinced that the severed head of her beloved was asking for a new body… or was something else even more sinister behind this?

_Entry 6:_

_I am sorry to keep you waiting, my love, but we cannot afford to compromise—not where your new body is concerned. Ordinary adventurers die often enough, leaving their ordinary corpses, but if you are to be like Claire we cannot settle for anything less than extraordinary._

_But a strong body requires an equally strong soul—as I recently discovered. Now, you are probably worried that strong souls are rare, and so they are—but never fear, for we can create one ourselves! All we need is a plentiful supply of the weaker kind, and they are common indeed. Be patient just a little longer, my love, and all will be as you desire._

Claire heaved a great sigh as she turned to the last page where it wasn’t just drenched in blood stains, but it was actually written in blood.

_Entry 7:_

_With the nigh endless supply of bodies here, I will make you well again, my love. Then we shall be wed as man and wife, and forever be joined as the gods intended. Of course, it is only fitting that a proper ceremony be held, with guests in attendance. I will send out invitations to all our friends. They will be so happy for us, I have no doubt they will jump at the chance to part with their souls._

Claire closed the book and set it on the bedside table before laying back and staring up at the ceiling. She had been trying to pinpoint just where this madness first started, but had been unable to gleam any real clues to what happened to have resulted in such an end.

Some would say that there was no point in dwelling on the past any longer. She couldn’t save the two of them and it was as simple as that. She had bigger things to be concerned with such as the war in Ishgard and the eventual battle with Nidhogg—whom she sure would be coming soon for his forces were beginning to gather.

Besides, both of them were now dead and many would take comfort in the fact that both Edda and that monster Avere were released… but where they?

Claire had heard the rumors… how that a ghost seemed to be haunting the city at night…? Now normally she wouldn’t be paying much mind to it, but she had seen it herself not long ago. She had been wandering through the city just as the rain was falling around her. She decided to rent a room for the night and was passing by the Acorn Orchard where the children normally played…? Ans that was when she spotted her… a girl, all in white, staring sadly at her as she passed. But as soon as Claire did a double look, the girl had faded.

She had been trying to figure out what this meant. Instead, all she had left was Edda’s portfolio that had been left behind in the crypt.

Had that truly been Edda she had seen?

She sighed one last time, knowing that she had to at least try and get some sleep. She turned off the lantern and rolled over so that she was facing the wall as her eyes closed. All the while the ghostly figure of a girl all in white appeared in the corner to watch her.

***Morning***

Claire awoke with a slight headache and a chill in her bones as she dressed and packed up all of her things to head out. She was wondering if she should head straight back to Ishgard now… though she was sure that this waiting around for Nidhogg’s army to attack first was sure to drive her insane.

She yawned, deciding to get something warm to drink to warm her up when she spotted another adventurer trying to flag her down by the front door. Curious, she approached as the Lalafell said, “As I live and breathe! You’re that adventurer everyone’s been talking about, aren’t you? I take it you’ve heard about that nasty business down near Issom-Har. Surely you’ve heard the stories. Of a strange portal suddenly appearing in the ruins down there.”

She looked on in confusion; realizing that this was far too early to be trying to listen to vague statements like that.

“Hey, don’t give me that look,” he said, not realizing how tired she was feeling this morning, “I’m only telling you what I overheard from the Wailers. They say on the other end of it is some sort of labyrinth. The thing is, every time they go down there to map the place out, nothing is the same. A mystery if I’ve ever heard one. Frankly, I’m more than happy to let it stay a mystery. Strange apparitions, booby-trapped corridors—going down there is nothing short of suicide. Still, the prospect of treasure is awful tempting… ahem. Don’t take my word for it, though. Head down to Issom-Har and you can hear it straight from the chocobo’s mouth.”

Well, that got her attention on what she could be doing for the rest of the day as she waited to hear more news from Ishgard. After stopping by the markets to get some breakfast, she took a detour through the woods. Issom-Har was the name of the giant pit in the South Shroud just outside the Duthers. As far as she knew that place was used as an excavation site for some Duskwight Elezens as they explored more of the ruins of Gelmorra. But she never really gave it much though since she had other things to worry about whenever she passed through the South Shroud… such as finding the Sylph elder… running errands for the Company of Heroes…?

Why was her life so strange?

She wandered around the pit for a while as she gazed down, thinking to herself it didn’t look any different than when she first saw it.

That was when her eyes trailed upwards and she spotted the Wood Wailer that was standing on guard, who just noticed her as well.

“I’m sorry, but I must insist that you—” he began before looking her up and down, “Oh, and adventurer, and a rather seasoned-looking one besides. On the off chance you’re not simply here to gawp, perhaps you can lend us a hand?”

She tilted her head in interest and he seemed to take that as an invitation to go on and he explained, “You see, despite the fervent protestations of those Duskwights over there, we cannot permit civilians within the ruins at this time. Capable men and women like you, on the other hand, are more than welcome! That is, if you’ve got the stones for it. Pray seek out the others stationed at Quarrymill. They can apprise you of the details.”

She felt that she was missing something very important here, but she shrugged it off as she went wandering off towards Quarrymill, hoping someone could give her some real answers to what’s going on here. The Wood Wailer on guard seemed like the best place to start and so she approached him, whom seemed relieved that someone else was here.

“Well met, adventurer,” the Wood Wailer said, getting straight down to the matter at hand, “I take it you have come to learn more of the recent happenings at Issom-Har. The site is of interest giving to the Gelmorran ruins—Gelmorra being an underground city which predates Gridania, in case you were unaware.”

Well, he wasn’t beating around the bush. She briefly wondered what he would have done if she wasn’t here about the ruins?

“Anyway, a few days past, we received reports from several anthropogeographers that a magical gateway of some sort had appeared in the ruins, and that all manner of creatures were coming and going through it,” he went on, obvious to her thoughts, “My men and I were among the first to examine it, and well… it’s hard to explain. We crossed the threshold into a set of corridors we’d never seen before, and then suddenly, each and every one of us was filled with an inexplicable sense of dread. It was all I could do to take even a single step.”

That certainly is something she was used to. It sounded like some powerful magicks were placed over the ruins.

“According to E-Una-Kotor, who accompanied us, the ruins are warded with powerful magicks that sap the spirits—and aether—of all who enter, rendering them easy prey for the creatures within,” he explained, “Thankfully, he managed to devise a solution, aetherpool arms and armor, which safeguard and channel the wielder’s energies, that they might withstand the ruin’s magicks. Unfortunately, it does little to prevent us from losing our way. Though it beggars belief, every time we have dared to venture into the ruins, we have found the path to be changed. We suspect this too may be the work of an unfathomably powerful mage…”

Now she was interested. Going into some ruins only for the corridors to change and different paths found? That certainly got her attention and she felt that old familiar sense of curiosity growing inside her.

“Needless to say, something strange is afoot, and traditional tactics are not like to suffice,” he went on, “Even experienced adventurers will need to proceed with caution. In any event, if you believe you have what it takes to brave the ruins and discover what secrets lie in its deepest depths, you need but say the word.”

She really didn’t need to be asked twice and so she agreed. He nodded, guiding her back to Issom-Har and telling the guards on hand she was given permission to descend downwards. They led her to a rope ladder and explained that this was a far as they could go but that there would be a special mechanism waiting there, not unlike an aetherye shard, that will teleport her straight to the entrance.

She nodded in understanding and descended downwards, her feet touching the ground before her, and spotting the mechanism almost right away. She went leaping down without a second thought.

Her eyes opened and she found herself suddenly in a room filled with corridors and small rooms. It felt like a tomb, completely underground with perfectly placed stones yet there didn’t seem to be any real rhyme or reason behind this. There were just rooms beyond rooms lit with magical lanterns and filled with monsters. The first few floors weren’t tough at all, and instead it was simply slaying enough monsters just to find the next mechanism that would take her to the next floor.

There were treasure chests in most of the rooms, but instead of money or loot inside, she found strange items that she found that she could influence her to such a degree as to remove monsters, help her avoid traps or even turn the monsters into small and harmless creatures.

The first five floors were pretty fun as she explored around… but it was after that did she start to really feel that sense of foreboding growing. Not just a sense that there was something bad waiting below… she felt eyes on her back… and more than once she found herself looking back but seeing nothing. But she was sure of it… she was certain that someone was watching her from the shadows.

Soon enough, things began to change as she went deeper. The stone walls around her slowly began to take on a slightly more wild appearance with plants growing here and there… but it wasn’t until floor ten did she come across her first real challenge. It was truly ugly as the great flapping wings of the beast seemed to fill the whole room before it swooped down up her. After a struggle, she ended things by lopping its head off and wiped the blood off her weapon before she continued on deeper.

All the while that feeling of eyes continuing to follow her.

After she left the tenth floor, a long figure drifted out from her hiding place, mortal in appearance and dressed all in black as her toes just barely touched the ground beneath her. She didn’t say or do anything as she watched… not sure why this newcomer drew her attention.

As for Claire, she continued passed the tenth floor and down even deeper to see what else could be waiting for her. This time she was straight into more of a water-like area where parts were flooded and rose up to her knees while there were blue crystals growing out of the walls surrounding her.

As she wandered about… another being suddenly made an appearance… slowly wandering the halls.

She looked up and her eyes widened as the figure seemed to glide about, a tall Elezen with white hair and carrying a spear on his back.

“Foulques?” she whispered and at the sound of his name, the figure turned his head dramatically upon his neck and fixated her with dead, blank eyes. Foulques was a lancer who challenged the leaders of the guild at the Wailing Barracks to prove he was the better, braver lancer. She knew of his life and how he had once been a member of the guild before he and his comrades had stolen from the guilds coffers but when he wished to confess, his friends turned on him and let him take the fall for them all. When she confronted him… he backed away from her and fell over the edge of a nearby cliff… no one could have survived a fall like that.

And it seems that he didn’t.

He suddenly came barreling towards her and she reacted so quickly that she barely knew what happened until she found Foulques on the ground at her feet.

She gasped and knelt down next to him as he gazed up to the ceiling above her. She didn’t even get a chance to speak as he croaked out, “Impossible! M-My courage is… absolute…”

“Foulques?” she repeated softly before the torment in his face melted away and he actually smiled as his dead eyes shut… and he dissolved into smoke.

Now she was dealing with the dead on top of everything else here? She gulped as she hurried on, terrified of what else was waiting down here for her. She, thankfully, didn’t see any other of the undead as she raced on to the twentieth floor and instead found a giant plant with tentacles waiting for her. The chill she felt from before seemed to be settling into her bones as she uprooted the plant and left it to whither behind her. But as she quickly made for the next contraption to take her to the next floor, she failed to notice that her ghostly observer continued to follow her every move. The figure just smiled sadly as she watched her as the strange bat-like creature settled upon her shoulder.

Just how far did this place go though? She was already past twenty floors and could not help but wonder just what would be the purpose of this place? This couldn’t be part of Gelmorra could it? Surely they wouldn’t need an entire city to go down this far?

This place was just wearing her down, but she had to keep going. She wasn’t the type to give up so easily. The walls from after the twenty floor were hotter and covered with red stone and unlike the carefully laid bricks from before, this was much more like a cave system so it was actually looking more like it was carved out if it wasn’t natural.

But at this point she was really starting to get tired of the seemingly endless monsters and rooms.

At least until she found another undead soul wandering about. She did recognize him, though it took a moment to do so… but she remembered how he had been a member of the Serpent Reavers who were once in thrall to Leviathan. He was the one who masterminded the adductions of Lominsan citizens to be tempered before he was stopped… long before she had joined the Scions or even left La Noscea. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would see him again. However, it appears that even free from Leviathan’s grasp his soul had not yet found peace as he wandered about muttering about the Lord of the Whorl.

As soon as he saw her, he made straight for her… but she had certainly grown much and more since they first met and so it wasn’t too hard for her to beat him for a second time.

She hated what he was and for the terrible things he did… but no one should suffer down here, alone and in the dark, like that.

“You hear that, lads? The sea’s callin’ me home…” he croaked as peace filled his face and he faded much in the same way that Foulques did.

She shook her head, feeling pity in her heart, before heading even deeper.

There were other dead souls here, of that she was sure. How many dead were wandering about down here? If nothing else, she wanted to free those poor souls trapped down here and hope that she didn’t end up joining them.

Not that she recognized all the lost souls who wandered about. Such as on the next floor she found the soul of a former Flame Soldier. She did not know him… but he cried out before she put him to the sword, calling the names of his former comrades.

She merely muttered a small apology and a prayer that he find the peace that eluded him, before she marched onwards, slowly losing track of which floor she was on. But she reasoned that it had to be around thirty floors when she came face-to-face-to-face-to-face-to-face-to-face with a five headed dragon-like creature.

The five heads snapped at her with jaws dropping with poison and acid, forcing her to cut off their heads one by one, before dealing the final blow.

She was starting to grow tired, but decided she could go on a little further and so she hurried off to head down to the next floor. In fact, she was so focused on her task that she didn’t realize that someone was right behind her. A figure, dressed all in black, close enough to reach out and grab her shoulder… but she had already left before the figure could do so.

But after the object of her attention left, the figure turned her head, hearing some sort of unspoken call that she was compelled to obey. She followed downwards, drifting through the halls of the Palace of the Dead as her master commanded her to his side.

Downwards and downwards Claire went, watching how the walls turned from the caves and more into structured stone again, reminding her of the Deepcroft. Someone had to build this place… but who?

Though she didn’t have much time to really think about it since the monsters were growing larger and stronger as well with each and every floor she passed, and she was really starting to grow concerned to how much larger that they could get.

She felt that she was going to lose her mind from the constant beasts and this seemingly endless labyrinth of halls.

On the next floor she found three ghosts wandering about together—which saddened her when she spotted them—though she only recognized them in passing. They were competing with her after clearing the Sastasha Seagrot and wished her the best of luck as they made their way to the top.

The only other time she had seen them was outside the Deepcroft…? But now that she thought of it, she remembered hearing of how the three of them had been killed in the Copperbell Mines shortly before she cleared it out… apparently they were killed from their reckless optimism at the hands of the giants.

“I’m so sorry…” she whispered before she stepped up behind them. She killed the remains of Dolorous Bear, the sword-swinging adventurer, first as he wheezed, “We said we’d… make a name for ourselves…”

She had no time to think though, for the other two were turning to her. She faced the remaining two adventurers, whose names she could vaguely recall being Kikina and E’manafa, and the staff-wielding Lalafell gasped as his glassy eyes focused on her for just a moment before collapsing, “Wh-What is this place? Where are the others?”

Which left the Miqo’te lancer… whom fell to the ground easily enough and her eyes rolled back as she whimpered, “Oh, Dolorous. Even in death…I will always…”

It took Claire a couple of minutes to fully register what she had to do and she even felt a few tears dripping down…. One for each person she found trapped here and dreading who she would run into next.

“Rest now…” she said, “And find your way on a new adventure in the next life.”

She muttered a prayer before moving on.

The forty floor she came across a ghost-like creature that looked like the combination of a tattered cloak and a specter. But she had to believe that she was getting close to whatever was the source of the suffering down here.

But it wasn’t until she reached what had to be close to fifty floors did she find another lost soul… and it was worse than what she ever thought. Standing there upon a platform surrounded by red candles… was a girl…?

Claire’s eyes widened in shock as the figure spoke with that same echoing voice that all the other dead souls she saw.

_“It would seem our guest as overstayed their welcome…”_ she whispered s a tiny bat-like creature that looked very familiar fluttered about on her shoulder, _“Come, my love. Let us show her the way out!”_

The figure raised her head and from under her wide-brim witch’s hat Claire saw the dead face looking back.

It was Edda.

She bore almost no resemblance to that poor girl she met before. She was in a black dress with a patch over one of her eyes and a long scythe swung from her hand as the creature she called her beloved Avere hovered about.

Edda then began to laugh… or cry… it was impossible to tell which it was if not both. But she just beckoned for Claire to join them and Claire felt her own grief grow as she stepped over the candles and approached her on a platform much like the one she stood upon last time… matching even the way that Avere’s name was written upon it in blood.

She faced Edda… no longer that sad girl… but now as a vengeful ghost fully lost in her madness.

It was for her own good.

But that still didn’t make it any easier for her to rush ahead to finish this. Power was flooding through the room and she could see how the runes of Avere’s name would continue to light up from time to time and she was hit by the dark aether that seemed to explode out of Edda as she tried to lop her head off with her scythe.

It was with a heavy heart that she dealt the final bow and Edda gasped in pain, moving backwards and away from her as she gripped the wound in her chest. Though Claire knew full well that it wasn’t the wound that finished her since she no longer had a heartbeat or blood in her veins any longer… rather it was the sudden loss of aether that kept her spirit tied to this body… and she had pushed herself too far.

With a scream, she reached skywards, seeking the tiny head that had once been Avere, before she fell backwards and landed with a loud noise on the ground that made Claire cringe before the body dissolved into black smoke. Immediately after, the tiny head also seemed to shatter apart and landed beside her and joined her before melting away into nothing.

It was over…

So why wasn’t she relieved?

Claire lowered her weapon, her head held low, wishing that she could have done or said something that could have helped Edda. Surely there could have been someone she could have taken her too? Someone who could help her fight her way through her madness and return to how she was…?

She didn’t know. She was just lost on this matter.

Just then, before the smoke fully dissolved, she saw a bright light and she looked up to see that through the dark was a single bright ball of light. She watched with wide eyes a sit slowly rose up, breaking fee from the shadows that clung to it and faded. But the light remained before it appeared in front of her and took another form.

It was Edda who was standing in the light… but not this version of Edda. Not the made with grief Edda who was more ghost than a person. But rather, it was the Edda before. The one before all this happened. Claire stared as the girl rubbed her eyes, dressed in her old conjurer’s gear with a curved cane nestled upon her back. Edda blinked a few time sleepily before her own eyes widened at the sight of her and gave her the biggest smile.

“Oh, Claire,” she said happily, a cheer that she had never seen in the girl before shining through the light, “So good to see you… I’ve started anew as an adventurer, just as I promised. Would that Avere could see me now.”

Claire stared on at her, completely baffled at this. Did she not remember? What happened?

“You… are you… ok?” she asked slowly and at her question, the happiness in Edda’s face shifted so that it became one more of confusion.

She gripped her head as if in pain, or struggling to remember, and said, “But… how did I come to be in this place…? I remember falling…” She looked at her, her face still holding onto that innocent blinkered expression before finishing, “And a robed figure…”

And she was gone in a bright light.

Claire stared on, not sure what to think, when she spotted something lying on the ground. She approached and picked it up to realize that it was a ring. She closed her eyes in pain and sighed sadly.

That poor girl… deserved so much better than what she had become. Losing the love of her life before being abandoned by her friends when she needed them the most… and then losing her mind. Even after death she wasn’t able to rest in peace.

And to make it worse… it was her fault.

Well, no… not completely. She had just been doing her job of going into dungeons to stop these threats. Their team had not been prepared in the end as they tried to emulate her… but still that didn’t stop the guilt gripping her heart as she looked down at the ring in her hand as the sobbing and deranged laughter echoed in her mind.

After some time she tucked the ring safely inside her armor and decided to leave this awful place behind. She knew that it went down much deeper but she was exhausted and desired to leave this place behind for now.


	2. Dead But Not Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Determined to see this through to the end, Claire chooses to dive back down into the Palace of the Dead to confine her search for this 'robed' figure. What will she find though when she arrives at the end of this labyrinth of lost souls?

Edda had mentioned a robed figure before she faded. Was it the Ascians behind this?

Claire could not think of what else this ‘robed’ figure could possibly be. But at the same time, her gut was telling her that something wasn’t adding up with this theory. She wished that she could go to the other Scions for help, but right now may not be the best idea. Alphinaud and Tataru were still in Ishgard helping to preparing the city for the upcoming attack—where they still didn’t have a clear idea to when it was coming… Y’shtola was helping Cid with the matter of Alexander in the Hinterlands… and who knows where Thancred was right now? She doubted that the few at the Rising Stones would be able to aid her in this whole matter. Not to mention that Yda and Papalymo were still missing and… and she tried really hard not to remind herself what happened with Minfilia.

No. She was on her own for now and she will do what she thought was right.

And the only way that she was going to get anymore answers is if she went back down there and continued on.

So when she next rose from her bed, she went to speak with the captain in charge of looking after the entrance to the deep dungeon—or the Palace of the Dead as the locals were beginning to call it—and asked what they have learned since they last spoke.

“Well met, adventurer. Thanks to your diligence, we have expanded the scope of our reconnaissance missions in the ruins. Unfortunately, we have yet to find any clues as to who, or what, is the source of our problems,” he greeted her with a respectful bow. “You claimed the undead spoke of a robed figure, correct? Perhaps this is the foul sorcerer who gave birth to the palace and its inhabitants.”

She looked back to the pit, wondering just what would be waiting for her next.

“To not only create such a labyrinth, but to fill it with the souls of so many innocents... We are dealing with a foe possessed of dark and terrible power,” he sighed with a shiver clearly going across his body at the thought. “It pains me to burden you, but on behalf of the Wood Wailers I would ask that you seek out and put an end to the one behind all this. I can think of none more capable for the task at hand.”

She sighed at that and he looked on sympathetically.

“My men have not the strength to stand with you in the ruins, but rest assured we shall do all we can to support you here at Quarrymill. Now go ─ drive out the evil of the Palace of the Dead, before the deceased should find their way out into the Twelveswood,” he explained to her. “You have done well to complete such a thorough survey of the ruins, but the road ahead is ever more treacherous. Before you proceed, I would know for certain you are duly prepared for the challenges ahead.”

She agreed, thanking him for his warning, but she knew what she was in for when she came to him. So, with a deep breath, she mustered her courage before diving back down into that dark place.

Sadly, she found that even more of the dead were waiting for her.

Almost immediately after stepping over the place where she first faced the ghostly version of Edda and entered Floor 51, she found more of the dead waiting to ambush her.

Captain Madison—the former captain of a Serpent Reaver crew out of western La Noscea, near the Sahagin spawning grounds through the Sastasha Seagrot until she cleared it out on one of her very first adventures. His failure, as she remembered, was becoming tempered by Leviathan to such a degree that his and several others of his crew became twisted and they took on forms akin to some sea creature than that of a man. Even in death he took on this kraken-like visage.

She felt almost bad for him when she put him out of his misery.

_“No! I can’t die… Not like this…”_ he gasped before falling.

“Anything is better than this,” she sighed grimly before she moved onwards. Really, he was much better off dead than what became of him.

The monsters were growing larger and stronger the deeper she went and she was strangely grateful for it since it kept her mind distracted from the idea of facing the dead. But soon enough she came across her next foe whom she had only seen once before when she explored the Pharos Lighthouse.

_“Dyin’ a third time… Forgive me, Diamanda…”_ Symond the Unsinkable, brother of the smith Diamanda, who was currently working to restore Pharos Sirius. After she cleared out the Siren of the Lighthouse, she learned of his tragic fate and how his should had been claimed by the creature and forced to live as one of her undead minions.

Though this time, she felt that she could avoid ever telling Diamanda what became of her brother. He was, hopefully, at peace this time around and need not be faced with the thought of dying a fourth time.

It was startling to see old foes again… but then again, not everyone she saw she recognized. Such as on the fifty-seventh floor she spotted another man who was dressed in fine Ishgardian clothes and bore the rose of House Hailenarte upon the shield on his back. He was wandering about the halls and when he fell, she heard him whisper, _“Laniaitte… Francel… I wish you all…”_

She blinked at the names that fell from his lips and her eyes widened when she recognized the image of the rose that he bore. A knight of House Hailenarte? But then why address Laniaitte or Francel in such a way? A family member, perhaps?

Either way, she gave her prayer for him to find peace and to rest assure that she will do all in her power to prevent Ishgard from falling. Hopefully, that will allow him to move on with no more regrets or worries.

Of course, the next part of the nightmare continued when she found a headless horseman waiting for her. She stepped forward, holding up her bow and ready to fight—not ever realizing that deeper in this labyrinth there was another figure waiting for her.

The dark figure drifted there, alone in this forsake place… his sanctuary…

_“Aether, the great catalyst,”_ he sighed to himself, _“The building block from which all creation is torn, capable of reconstituting flesh through sheer will. He laughed. How fortuitous that I should be pulled from oblivion to continue my work in this world. More fortuitous still that is should find as find a specimen as her.”_

***Later***

“I didn’t expect to see you again,” Claire said as Inquisitor Guillaime… or rather what was left of the false inquisitor who had brought about the deaths of good men and women before being revealed, turned towards her.

After her battle with the horseman on the floor above, she managed to make it down here to find even more dead souls waiting here. The fake Inquisitor Guillaime was dragging himself miserably through these halls and all but threw himself at her… forcing her to put him down.

She shook her head at the sight of the dead man, whose last breath wheezed out, _“The dragons will…rend you…asunder…”_

“The truth has been made known,” she replied softly as she stepped over the still from as he faded, “But it is not up to me to judge you though as you judged others.”

The next few floors were filled with more monsters, leaving her to once again wonder how deep this accursed place went. But upon the sixty-ninth floor, a floor above where she sensed another powerful foe and knew that she was all but standing right above another strong foe… she looked up into the furious face of the hecatonchier that she, herself, killed when she explored the mines of Copperbell.

Such pitiful giants… they deserved so much more than what had been given to them.

“Forgive me…” she whispered before firing a barrage of arrows right into his chest and watched as the body finally fell.

_“SLAVES… NO MORE…!”_ the dead Ouranos cried before falling with a crash.

Its official, this place was going to be giving her nightmares for some time.

She was actually glad when she reached the seventieth floor and found a large serpent waiting for her. If nothing else, it was with much relief that she was now a living creature and not something that had risen from the dead. She was growing weary of this horrible, light-less place.

But as she focused more on defeating the serpent, that shadowy figure still malms deeper continued to drift there as his thoughts drifted about. Musing to himself on all that had happened and where to go from here.

_“…Yet even that experiment ended in failure. Such a pity,”_ he purred to himself, _“She was the key, and with the strength of her spirit I would have flung wide the gates of truth. I would have discovered the means to escape death. Immorality.”_

He would have to make sure she paid for ruining his plans.

Meanwhile, Claire was really getting sick of running into people she knew down here. Just how many dead people were down here?

For now she found a half-rotten merchant… and it wasn’t just his rotting body either. Ungust, the human trafficker who betrayed them and offered her and so many others as sacrifices to Ifrit, was curled up and sobbing like a baby in the corner of the room. When she found him, he screamed when he saw her. She knew that he didn’t deserve pity, knowing that he deserved his fate after he was tempered and put to death for it, but seeing him crying was enough to make her feel most of her anger fade.

_“I…I’ve been…executed!?”_ he cried as she sighed and put him to the sword once again.

“No more than what you deserved for taking the lives of others,” she sighed, “But… I will not hold a grudge against you.”

But it seemed that traitors weren’t uncommon in these floors for two floors after him she found another soul wandering about in terror. As soon as she saw him, she was actually tempted to just leave him here for all that he had done… but knowing that she had to be better than that, she approached the ghostly form of Teledji Adeledji—reminding herself that his money wasn’t going to be enough to save him from this nightmare and that his plans for domination ended with him the night of the Bloody Banquet.

She would make it quick… but there was a measure of satisfaction that she got to put an end to him after the stunt that he pulled. She could still feel how those ropes cut into her wrists when he ordered the Crystal Braves to tie her up and she was thrown onto the floor by the scruff of her neck like some misbehaving dog.

_“No… Stay back! Not again!”_ the former member of the Syndicate cried, trying to get away from her.

It was because of him that so much chaos came from the Bloody Banquet. But no one deserves to suffer down here in the dark like this. But gods, it was tempting.

She could hear a roar beneath her feet and it reminded her that to a Behemoth… oh gods, she bet that was waiting for her next? She sighed as she walked off… this time not offering a prayer as Teledji’s body faded in a puff of black smoke.

As she fought, the robed figure continued to wait as he could sense her coming closer.

Why did she insist on going forward? Could she see how much harm she was doing to those who had unfinished business? Those who had refused to let that black nothingness claim them and returned when he called? That was the proof that was needed that the dead did not wish to remain so.

_“Morality is but an illusion, and he would dare preach its falsehoods to besmirch her spirit, to close her eyes to the truth,”_ he said, _“Could she not see the girl lamented the veil of death? That she would have rejoiced to see it lifted?”_

No matter. She would be here soon and he would stop her himself. And then, he would start over. He had all the time to work on his experiments when he was freed from this little rat who insisted on making a nuisance of herself in his maze.

***Much later***

She was starting to think that someone was enjoying messing with her here. Why else would she keep running into old enemies such as the hulking form of Rhitahtyn sas Arvina and the cold form of Livia sas Junius who stalked her desperately? They cried for their Lord Gaius before dropping, no longer strong enough to stand up against her. She took no joy in it and her heart felt incredibly heavy as she moved onwards floor after floor, feeling that she was getting close by now. Something was waiting for her just ahead. Her sense of dread was growing with every step. The answers she sought were directly below her. She was nearing the end.

Why did the gods punish her so for this? This time she found more of the dead waiting, but unlike before… they were not foes… but former friends. She recognized them as Una Tayuun, Satzfloh, and Percevains… a trio of adventurers who were members of the Scions. Granted, they were people she didn’t really know that well… but she knew them from the Waking Sands and spoke to them whenever she returned to speak. But they all were among those who were killed from the raid from Livia sas Junius.

She could not bear the idea of allowing them to wander down here all alone in the dark. With no other choice, she braced herself to do something extremely painful. Doing her best to make it as quick and as painless as they fell.

_“I finally remember…who I am…”_ Una Tayuun sighed.

_“Una… Percevains… Where did you…?”_ Satzfloh gasped, falling immedately after Una.

_“We must…protect…the Waking Sands…”_ Percevains wheezed… hands reaching out blindly, clawing at the ground before becoming still.

“You did all that you could,” she whispered, feeling tears fall from her eyes as she watched their peaceful expressions fade, “And that is more than enough. There is no need to carry such heavy burdens any longer. Allow me to carry them for you.”

And after wiping her eyes, she continued, her anger at whoever was causing this growing with every step and now she was all but itching to meet who it was that was hiding from her. And she suspected she was getting close.

She was being followed… the weight of all those souls whom she found and slew down here were following her every step… she could feel it. But for some reason they didn’t seem harmful to her. She wasn’t sure how to put it, but it almost felt like they were walking with her… even those whom were enemies who had hurt her, were now acting the part of emotional shields to help guide her as she navigated the final ten floors.

They were leading her downwards. That much she was certain of. They want her to put an end to their torment… and she had to face whoever it was that was keeping them chained to this mortal coil.

_‘What do you want? Who is it that you wish me to find?’_ she thought to herself, but it seemed her unseen companions knew the answer to that as she was led passed the ninety-ninth floor and found herself upon a beaten up path surrounded by graves all stacked up on top of each other. That was when she found him with his back to her. An impossibly tall figure with a brown and tattered cloak as he slowly turned on the spot to stare at her through those ghastly glowing eyes.

_“Tracked me down, have you?”_ he asked, his voice echoing like the rest of the dead that she had met before, _“It seems my subjects were not as sturdy as I hoped.”_

He turned about and slammed his staff into the ground as she got a good look at his face. The thin sky stretched over a half-rotten skull the empty eyes gazed at her as he opened his mouth that revealed that more than half of the teeth had fallen out.

She felt her stomach roll in disgust.

_“You stand before Nyberth Obdiford, necromancer and arbiter of life and death,”_ he howled at her, _“Mine is a noble art, the path to salvation of the body and soul. I have come too far to be stopped by the likes of you!”_

He yowled as she stepped up, feeling a cold chill going up her spine.

She knew little and less of who, or even what, he was, but she didn’t care. She had to set these loss souls free and this was the only way she could think to do that. Their fight involved a battle of magic as she pulled out her own staff and began to fire spells upon him.

_“This conflict was foreordained, you know,”_ he said, _“All is laid out upon the Wheel of Fate, free from the meddling hands of mortals. Denizens of the abyss! From ink of blackest night, I summon you! Darkness to me!”_

And to her horror, he summoned up more minions of dead souls. Planted into stitched together corpses and they dragged themselves across the battle arena to get to her. How disgusting…

_“Bring death to blood and flesh, destroy demented demons all!”_ he howled.

She didn’t speak the entire time as she focused upon their fight. She could feel her ghostly companions cheering her on, lending her their strength as she fought—they wanted him dead as badly as she did… and when that moment came, they would be set free. That was what she believed as they supported movements and she could have sworn she heard them whisper words of encouragement to her as she stepped this way and that around him.

It seemed to last an exhausting amount of time—especially since she was still worn out from fighting her way down here. But she bore with it until he exhausted his spells and she landed the final, finishing blow.

He howled in pain as he staggered backwards, his entire body writhing in pain as it gave out on him.

_“Even here they fail to understand,”_ he wailed as he thrashed about, _“Humanity yearns for salvation from the ravages of death… to cast off the fetters of mortality… would you not try to free those you hold most dear?”_

For the first time, she felt herself freeze as she allowed herself to think about that statement. But she shook her head immediately afterwards. She thought of the lost souls and their suffering to having been dragged to this place… and no matter where they went even the seven hells were preferable to a place like this to spend for all eternity. At least, in the afterlife, they had a chance to atone for what they had done in life.

Here, there was nothing. No hope, no salvation… nothing.

And if this was the price that had to be paid to have those she cared about returned to her… it wasn’t worth it.

He shrieked as he fell and shattered into dark dust.

She closed her eyes, feeling much of the dread fade along with the dissolved sorcerer… thought she perhaps she imagined it, but she could feel the slight sigh of relief in her ears as her ghostly companions faded. Before, while she could feel them following after her every step, now they were gone… and she was alone.

She had to get out of here.

She could sense that the ruins seem to be able to go even deeper, but with the main horror now slain, she didn’t feel the need to go in any deeper… at least for now. She would clear it out another day. But she was thinking only of returning home.

So rather than take the next step downwards, she returned to the surface and came out into the fresh air. She merely told the Wood Wailer on duty what happened, and left as he gapped at her in shock. She just waved her hand at him, not even thinking of anything else for a long time.

But she was unable to get any sleep that day as the images of the dead continued to march across her mind.

***Morning***

“Miss!” the captain cried as Claire was getting ready to leave. She looked up to see him rushing towards her just as she finished packing her bag and he skidded to an excited stop.

“A moment, if you would,” he asked, “Are you not the adventurer who felled the dark sorcerer in the ruins?”

“Ah…” she said, taken aback by that before nodding and he sighted in relief.

“It is you, thank the Twelve! We are in immediate need of your assistance!” he said urgently, “Allow me to explain. On a recent reconnaissance mission, our men unearthed documents we believe were written by the selfsame sorcerer you encountered down in the labyrinth. As we have been desperately searching for more insight into this man and the unspeakable acts he committed, the importance of this discovery cannot be overstated.”

She tilted her head, wondering what they needed from her as he went on to explain.

“The documents have thus far proved beyond our comprehension, but now that you are here ─ why, who better to help us decipher their contents than the man who braved the depths of those fell ruins to confront the fiend!” he answered, “One of my fellow expeditionaries will be waiting for you at Issom–Har with the aforementioned documents. E–Una–Kotor communes with the elementals as we speak ─ he, too, shall join you anon. Pray make haste to Issom–Har. E–Una–Kotor shall meet with you there anon.”

She wanted to explain that she doubted that she would be of much use in deciphering these documents. While the Echo was a blessing in many ways, including helping her understand the languages of others… the same could not be said with written languages.

In a way, she was grateful for that, for she could only imagine how thrilled several of the Scions would be at such an ability and would be dragging her off to read some ancient tomes or something like that. She would not get another moment’s peace.

Still, she decided that she would be polite enough to meet with Brother E-Una-Kotor in person. Who knows? Maybe she could help. But she was hoping to be able to return home and hopefully find a way to get some much needed rest… she hadn’t been able to get a wink of sleep at all last night and it was quickly getting to her.

Nevertheless, she did what she was told and waited in the Upper Paths just outside Issom-Har when both E-Una-Koto, who seemed to be in charge of the South Shroud, and another Wood Wailer soon joined her.

“Well met, adventurer. Your cooperation in this matter is much appreciated. We had hoped these documents would serve to enlighten us regarding the nature and motives of the dread sorcerer Nybeth, but I fear there is a rub...” the Wood Wailer said with a bow, “They are written in a foreign script that is entirely unfamiliar to our eyes. We know not where to begin in determining the origin of these odd glyphs, let alone deciphering their meaning.”

Claire looked over to the old parchment that was tightly rolled into a scroll and wondered just what she was supposed to do with it. She took a quick look at the glyphs and was wholly unsurprised to see that she could not make out anything written there.

“'Tis little surprise they are not familiar to you. If that most curious aetheric signature is aught to judge by, I would surmise those papers, and the man who penned them, hail from a world not our own,” he told her and she was surprised that he had figured this all out despite never having come face-to-face with that ghastly creature. Then again, after she had explained his appearance once she climbed out, perhaps it was not a surprise to deduce that he was not of this world at all.

“Claire Faye…” E-Una-Kotor said respectfully, “Kan–E–Sanna tells me that you possess a special gift ─ one that grants you a preternatural insight to the true nature of those around you.”

“Yes…” she said slowly and he nodded in approval.

“From my understanding, this power is not one to be invoked at will. But having exposed yourself to the otherwordly presence of Nybeth, mayhap... Might you take these documents into hand, and see if aught appears before your mind's eye?” he suggested.

She was doubtful that it would work, but she agreed to give it a try though telling him that she couldn’t promise seeing anything. But he seemed satisfied in letting her try and so she reached out to touch the parchment, trying to force her mind to clear… to focus entirely upon that dark figure and the creepy surroundings?

After a few minutes, nothing happened, and she was all but ready to tell them this much when suddenly that familiar pain panged through her head and the odd ringing began to sound in her ears…? And then all was gone.

_*Echo*_

_She was growing more and more frustrated with this impossibly long wait while she drifted over the countless bodies of people of his countless failed test subjects, still just fawning over Edda’s still form._

_“No, no, no! This is all wrong! Her soul will not remain bound to the flesh. It is as if she is rejecting her corporeal form. Mayhap the vessel is too weak...?” she grouched before examining over Edda’s body with a critical eye, trying to figure out just where it went wrong. “But that cannot be! A passionate spirit is possessed of inexhaustible stores of aether, and hers is by far the most strong-willed of my specimens. She should have the strength to remain tethered to this realm in perpetuity!”_

_She looked up and down, drifting around the still form who floated with a rather melancholy weight to it._

_“But no...! Not even a glimmer of life in her body! Could it possibly be...? That her spirit would seek to return to the aetherial sea of its own accord...!? Preposterous!” she said, shaking her head, unable to believe that anyone would willingly choose to end it all when their chance to return to the land of the living was within their grasp! In frustration she demanded, “Would you be so foolish as to welcome the hollow embrace of eternal sleep? To sate yourself with memories of your worthless life as you drift off into the void?”_

_Edda did not answer… she just remained… silent and empty… the soul that was inside that body was refusing to fully merge in this body._

_She shook her head in annoyance as the shadowy figure appeared before her mind eye._

_“Hmph... And what would you say, old friend?” she asked mockingly as if that traitor was still before her and could truly answer. “Would you blather about the virtue of accepting death, and extol her pure-hearted wish to rest beside her lost love?”_

_The image faded as she laughed at the thought, “Hah! I think not! My Edda would never be blinded to the truth by some starry-eyed fantasy! No, a spirit as strong as hers would never fade so meekly into nothingness. Only a fool would yearn for death, to lay quietly within that mortiferous shade! And that is why I press on ─ to realize the dreams of all who came before me, and all who will come after!”_

_She continued to float around Edda’s form, still looking her up and down, trying to find a solution to this frustrating problem. She was so close now! This soul was exactly what he needed to prove, once and for all, she could revive the dead and draw back the veil! All the pieces were here! So what was preventing them from fitting together?_

_She bent closer, examining the flickering soul from within Edda’s body and realized that, while still full to the brim with aether, it seemed to be reaching out desperately to… to…?_

_“And yet... It would seem your spirit remains entangled with that of another. Not your lost love, no ─ but the one who besmirched your soul with these vulgar notions of accepting ─ nay, embracing that vain slumber!” she asked before pausing, understanding right away what was going on._

_She had sensed a handful of people venture into her labyrinth… but most were either killed or fled before making it past the first few floors. All but this next one who had made it quite far already… nearly halfway to reaching his sanctuary. Edda never showed any signs of wishing to embrace that foolish abyss before she began poking about where she wasn’t wanted._

_“It's that rat sniffing about in my maze, isn't it?” she demanded, realizing that the scent about Edda was very similar to that little rat, and added, “I can still smell her stench upon you. And the repugnant fervor of the...admiration you feel for her.”_

_Her obsession with this so-called ‘hero’ was akin to his own with seeking a way to reunite with his lost love. Edda looked up and treasured this adventurer with every fiber of her being. Believing that she will become the greatest hero this realm had ever seen. She held no resentment towards that little rat for her death… in fact, there was still that yearning for her to return and finish what she started. Edda wished for her idol to find her and put an end to her?_

_She sighed at that before an idea came to mind and figured she would kill two birds with one stone._

_“Let us conduct an experiment, shall we? Yesss, a test of loyalty ─ one that shall also serve to purge these halls of she who would dare interfere with my most noble aims!” she decided, “Go forth, my sweet Edda! Go forth and seek out your beloved hero. Give her the gift of death you would seek yourself, and in the doing, free yourself from the shackles that bind your spirit so!”_

_Edda nodded dully… as if there was nothing else she could do._

_“Soon... Yes, soon the secrets of eternal life will be mine! Will be...ours,” she decided as she thought of her beloved once more… of that sweet face and laughing smile. Soon… soon they would be reunited. Once this one last thorn in her side was killed there would be nothing left to stop her._

_“Then, my love...I shall pull back the veil, and pluck your soul from the wastelands of the damned. And we shall be as one again, inseparable forevermore!” she cried out before she began to laugh, so hard and loud that it was as if an army was laughing along with her as it echoed around the cavern._

_*End of Echo*_

Claire returned to the woods, a little confused to how she got here and out of the world of the dead so quickly, feeling an urge to be sick at what she felt and experienced just then.

“You return to us, Claire,” E-Una-Kotor said, getting her attention and she looked to him in blinkered bewilderment before it all came rushing back on what happened. “Pray tell, what did you see?”

She took a deep breath and explained everything she heard and saw while in her vision. Neither one spoke as they watched with growing amazement—and horror.

“This dread sorcerer sought to bring his beloved back from the dead? That is what impelled him to torment countless souls in his experiments down in those shadowy depths?” the Wood Wailer gasped as E-Una-Kotor shook his head in a rather piteous way.

“While I cannot say for certain, I would rather not believe that such a simple, innocent desire could give birth to such blasphemous deeds,” E-Una-Kotor countered, refusing to see that was that wraith’s only agenda, “Nor am I inclined to believe that resurrection of the manner he suggests is even possible. Nay, I find it far more likely he meant only to play some cruel game with poor Edda, preying on the love she bore for her friends.”

That was true. There seemed to be another reason behind this… perhaps just the thrill of the thought of playing god with another? She remembered how her teacher at the Alchemist Guide was desperate to return his own beloved to this world.

If nothing else, it brought him a sense of peace that he craved so much… despite the fact that she did not agree with his methods, she understood the urge to see someone he loved just one last time. Thankfully, he seems to have been able to let go of such thoughts and move on with his life after that.

But this was very different to that.

“Even if there was once an ounce of human compassion in that monster's heart, one thing is certain ─ his unholy quest to rejoin body and spirit has disturbed the balance of the Twelveswood,” E-Una-Kotor went on, “Longing to reunite with a lost love is one thing, but to knowingly sacrifice the lives of countless others... 'Tis little wonder that such an odious act would incur the wrath of the elementals.”

“So what now?” she asked. She knew that the Palace of the Dead went down much deeper than what she had seen so far. How deep it went, that would be something she could discover for another day though… not that she was in a rush to go down even deeper.

E-Una-Kotor gave it some thought before nodding and declared, while glaring at the parchment with a look of disgust, “As a Padjal, I cannot sit idly by as such terrors endanger our forest home. From the pages of that fiend, I could sense naught but an all-consuming obsession with life and death, and a hunger for the shadows. You confronted the dread necromancer in the heart of the labyrinth. Tell me ─ what did you make of him and his goals?”

She nodded sadly and summed up what she personally thought of him by saying, “He was a depraved monster who saw the dead as mere playthings.”

While she could understand the desire to bring back those whom you have lost, she had seen the suffering that came from it. She could recall those halls and how they walked with all those poor lost souls… she thought of Edda’s suffering… of the mountains of bodies that had been added, one on top of the other, for him to perform his ‘experiments’. No good could ever come from it.

Even if he succeeded in bring back his beloved, there was no doubt in Claire’s mind that she would be akin to that of a terrifying monster.

“I daresay you have the right of it. No matter what his stated aim, disturbing the peace of the departed is a heinous crime indeed,” E-Una-Kotor agreed darkly, “He was a twisted, pitiful creature driven by false ideals. Pitiful indeed. He chose to flee from death ─ from the natural order of existence ─ to go where no man should tread. I daresay his soul is unlikely to ever find peace.”

It was nothing less than what he deserved. But she feared that this may not be the end of his plains… at least… she hoped it was. But as she learned from this experience… those whom she thought were long gone had a habit of returning wither we willed them too or not.

Still she was content with how things ended for now.

“Ah, pray forgive me,” E-Una-Kotor said, “It was untoward of me to ask you to speculate on the aspirations of a madman after only a short glimpse into his past. At the very least, we can take comfort in knowing that Nybeth and his ill ambitions are no more. Now, we must see to it that the labyrinth is purged of the abominable creations that run rampant within, that the wayward souls still trapped there may at long last find peace. When the Palace of the Dead is at last cleansed of the sorcerer's taint, I will invoke the power of the elementals to seal closed the ingress, that none may ever be lost to its unholy halls again.”

She nodded, agreeing that it would be no small feat to clear out the entirety of the Palace of the Dead, suspecting that it may take a very long time… but they didn’t have to do it right away. She would return to it when she had time… knowing that she would soon be called back to Ishgard and thus didn’t have time for it for now. But promised she would return when next she had the chance. In truth, she was looking forward to seeing the end of that accursed labyrinth and watch them all seal up that place once and for all so that no other souls would become lost in that twisted dungeon.

Claire left the two of them after they thanked her for all that she had done and she returned to Quarrymill where she was able to find a spare bed to rest… and thankfully her exhaustion carried her off to a dreamless sleep.


	3. The Nightmare Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire has emerged from the dark halls of the Palace of the Dead and is ready to move on, as is her wont. But before she leaves, she runs into an old acquaintance and some unfished business that must been addressed fist.

Claire was able to finally get some much needed sleep that morning. Not as much as she was hoping for, but she was feeling much more light-hearted when she awoke late that afternoon. She wasn’t sure what changed, only aware of how that odd chill that had been over her was now gone and she was pleasantly warm now.

Hopefully that would last as she made her way back to Ishgard.

Despite how easily she can could move through the snow, a little more heat was always a welcomed relief in such frigid climes. With a yawn and stretch, she got out of bed and proceeded to have a quick breakfast of some bread and apples while she dressed, wondering if she would be able to return to Ishgard before night fell.

As she stepped outside, finding a rather gloomy sky waiting for her, she decided to teleport outside Quarrymills gates when a voice called out, “I say, aren't you that adventurer who's been exploring the Palace of the Dead?”

Claire paused long enough to see that the question had come from one of the Wood Wailers, Balan, she felt his name was.

When he got her attention, he called her over and questioned, “Claire, isn't it? You've caused quite a stir among the men. Indeed, everyone in the Shroud speaks of your daring. Some more favorably than others...”

“I beg your pardon?” she asked politely.

“Well, you see, there's this Lalafell who came to Buscarron's Druthers a few days past,” he explained, looking suddenly nervous and shy, “He practically lives in the tavern now, always deep in his cups, muttering about dead friends and vengeful spirits. He mentioned your name amidst his ramblings. Several times, in fact.”

She raised her eyebrows at that. Far be it from her to go around and meet every single person who thought badly of her—she was aware that despite the many who looked up and admired her, there were plenty others who didn’t think she deserved all the praise she got. If some drunkard wanted to curse her name, she wasn’t going to stop him. After all, if she was going to be going around and beating up anyone who was rude, it would be a battle she would be fighting for the rest of her life and she had more important things she rather be doing.

“We usually pay no mind to drunkards at the tavern, but to be frank, he's become something of a nuisance. Perhaps you could speak with him? If the gods are good, you'll catch him in a moment of sobriety,” the Wailer asked rather hesitantly, “Please see what you can do about that poor drunken soul. I fear before long he'll anger the other patrons.”

She really didn’t want to do it, but if this guy was causing trouble for Buscarron…? Well, she supposed that it wouldn’t hurt to go and see what it was about. She agreed and left the hamlet as she headed west, wandering through the trees as the skies continued to grow darker—signs of rain coming.

Claire was not sure what she was expecting when she stepped into the Druthers… but her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar figure sitting at one of the tables. A Lalafell in a pale blue cloak was sitting up on one of the stools while what looked like half the taverns supply of liquor was on the table in front of him… bottles that she had seen take out men three times his size after a couple mouthfuls.

“Paiyo Reiyo?” she whispered to herself, startled at the former companion of Edda and Avere, and approached slowly

The Lalafell didn’t see her enter and he was tilting his head back as he swallowed another goblet of ale, already looking halfway to getting drunk. There was no doubt who he was though. Not that she could understand why he would be here since he had said that he had planned to return home a while ago. Granted that was before he had gone screaming out of the Deepcroft as if the keeper of the seventh hell had been on his heels but still…?

“Barkeep! Another bottle,” he yelled drunkenly, “The strong stuff this time! How's a man to drown his troubles in this ─ hic! ─ tepid piss you call ale? I said ─ hic! ─ huh?”

He was making good progress but it seemed that he wasn’t completely drunk yet. His eyes were starting to glass over but there was still some awareness there as he focused upon her features. As soon as he saw her, he blinked and gasped out, “Claire...? That the gods would ─ hic! ─ deliver you to me a third time! If anyone can help me, surely it's you.”

She reached out to steady him as he jumped down from his stool and swayed on unsteady legs.

“Alright,” she said, reaching over and taking the bottle out of his hands, “I think you’ve had enough. What’s the matter?”

He seemed so dazed with happiness—that strangely didn’t seem to have anything to do with the ale, and barely paid any attention to when she took the bottle. Instead he went on in a hurry, “After our ordeal in the Tam–Tara Deepcroft, I tried to return home, but it's no use. Try as I might I cannot stop thinking about her. About Edda...”

“Yes, I had a feeling that was the case,” she said, suddenly putting it all together, “I saw Edda myself recently.”

He let out a squeak of fear at those words.

“You saw her!? When? Where?” he demanded as she set the bottle down on the table and told him the whole story of the Palace of the Dead and finding Edda’s soul imprisoned there along with whatever was left of Avere. Paiyo Reiyo did not say a word as she told him everything and just stared on with wide eyes.

“And… and you are sure of this?” he asked hesitantly, as if hardly daring himself to believe it. “Edda and Avere have been set free?”

She nodded before remembering what she found down there and pulled out the ring to show him. If there was anyone who could tell her if it was what she thought it was, then he could. She still wasn’t sure what she should do with it however and hoped that he could offer a respectful suggestion.

Paiyo Reiyo took one look at the ring before gasping once more, his eyes now so large that they were in danger of popping clean out of his head. He took it with shaking hands and stared at it as if it was the answer to all his prayers as he offered a stuttering explanation.

“This...this is her engagement ring! I'd recognize the design anywhere,” he croaked, “She would always keep this in her breast pocket for fear it would get dirty on our outings. Strange that it would find its way to you. Back to this place. Hmmm...”

His dazed expression immediately became much more thoughtful and seemed to ponder some memory before he looked up to her and asked, “I realize this is sudden, but would you accompany me to the bridge just outside? I'd like you to help me with something.”

She nodded, glad to see that he didn’t seem interested in the drink anymore. He paused just long enough to pay Buscarron for his excellent service and apologized for any trouble he may have caused before leading the way outside. Buscarron looked a bit taken aback by this sudden change in his attitude and Claire just shrugged at him before leaving with a friendly wave. The two of them headed off towards the east, though he didn’t say where they were going. The walk seemed to have helped him sober up before they arrived at the bridge that stretched across the nearby river and he turned to her.

“Thank you for coming. I thought my heart would burst from my chest when I laid eyes on that ring. Would that I could forget the horrors of that damnable crypt. Seems the best I can do is drown them in ale,” he sighed in self-loathing, “Perhaps this is punishment for the way we treated her.”

She could still remember that day… when she was still considered to be a ‘new’ adventurer and before she had been found by the Scions. Life seemed so much easier when she was free to go where she wanted without ever being aware of primals or the Garlean Empire… but the day he spoke off was just after she first cleared out the Deepcroft and she was preparing to head off to Ul’dah.

She saw him there with Edda as what remained of their broken party blamed Edda for losing her fiancé. Perhaps if they had been more supportive of her then…?

Well, there was hardly any point in dwelling on what might have been. He paid for his treatment of that poor girl and it wasn’t worth him drinking his life away.

He didn’t seem to agree with that though as he shook his head.

“Every night when I close my eyes I can still see them. Edda with her ghastly grin... And that abomination she dared to call Avere,” he confessed, “The dream is always the same. “We wish to return home,” they tell me. I fear if I don't grant this request, they will haunt me till my dying day.”

She blinked at that… remembering the dream that she had shortly before venturing into the Palace of the Dead. Could it be that it hadn’t been a dream then? Perhaps more of a message from Edda wishing to be allowed to rest but was not sure how to do so.

“My first thought was to hold a small remembrance service of sorts to honor them. Then I asked myself: what good would that do without bodies, or even a keepsake?” Paiyo Reiyo explained a little desperately, “Then I remembered their engagement rings, a symbol of their innocence and purity, of a time before this calamity befell them. With those in hand, I could do my part to put their souls to rest.” She watched how he shivered and his voice was a bit higher when he finished, “Of course, that would have meant returning to that awful place, to seek out and retrieve the ring from her...from her...”

She doubted that they would be able to find much left after that great fall anyway. Who knows how deep that pit went? If it was connected to the Palace of the Dead then trying to find it would have been next to impossible… especially since they wouldn’t have a clear way back out to the surface.

He shook his head bitterly and added, “I cursed myself for running away the last time we met. If I had stayed, with you at my side, perhaps I could have found the courage to try.” But he looked up at her and added, “Yet fate has conspired to bring you here, and with Edda's ring! Now we need only find Avere's to complete the set.”

Ah, so did that mean…?

“Now I know what you're thinking, and no, I will not ask you to accompany me back to the Tam–Tara Deepcroft. Thankfully, that won't be necessary,” he reassured her. “You see, the night before our fateful foray into the Deepcroft, Avere and I went to the Druthers for perhaps one too many drinks. We stumbled outside in a drunken stupor, and it was here that he fell into the river. We thought it hysterical. That is, until we realized that not only were his gauntlets missing, but his ring as well!”

Truly? In all honesty, she felt that this Avere wasn’t so kind nor was he as ‘noble’ as Edda seemed to think he was. How does one accidently lose their engagement ring like that?

“There was no use searching for it in the dark, so we decided to return at first light. But alas, we never found it. Edda could never know...” Paiyo Reiyo explained quickly, “Now I would make things right. To do that, we must retrieve Avere's ring. Come. I very much doubt these shallow waters would carry his gauntlets far. I dare not ask how or why Edda found her way into those ruins, but I am strangely glad for it. Had you not gone into Gelmorra, I fear her ring would never have made its way here.”

She had no idea what he was picturing now but the idea of diving back down into a place full of the undead caused him to tremble at the thought.

“To think I could scarce take a step into the Tam–Tara Deepcroft, let alone that death trap. Ahem. Thankfully, that is behind us. For now let us see about finding Avere's ring, shall we?” he whispered before heading along the river to search.

Personally, Claire found it unlikely that they would be able to find it after all this time. After all, this happened so long ago and this part of the Shroud was known to be full of bandits and poachers. They had to make due with just about anything and surely if they found them…?

Still, she felt that she owed it to Edda to do this much for her and began to search. She trooped through the water, feeling along the muddy bank as she searched for the gauntlets, hoping that they would be given a break and find them.

After over a few bells and she could feel the first few drops of rain beginning to fall, her eye spotted a dull gleam through the water. She paused and pushed aside some reeds to find a single rushed gauntlet half buried in the mud and looking like it had been left out here for moons judging from the layer of rust. There was no way this could be it…?

She picked up the gauntlet and examined it, realizing it was more rust than good metal at this point so that may explain why no one bothered to look at it. But she gave it a cursory shake which dislodge a dull ring from within. Unable to believe their luck, she stared at it, taking time to dip it into the water to wash off the first layer of filth off it so that she could examine it. The band was tarnished and chipped away in places while the stone was no more of a dull rock than a gemstone. But underneath all the rust she could see that it was in the same design as Edda’s ring that still looked so well-taken care of that it may has well have been brand new.

She returned to Paiyo Reiyo, and showed him what she found. He shrieked with joy at the sight of the gauntlet and begged that the ring was still inside it. When she placed it into his hand, the look of happiness on his face was enough to bring a smile back to her own face.

“Yes! Yes, this is it!” he said joyfully, “Now all that remains is to find a place where we might lay their rings ─ and hopefully, their spirits ─ to rest.”

“Where?” she asked as he thought it over.

“Hmmm...” he said thoughtfully, “Perhaps Limsa Lominsa. It was, after all, where we all met. What could be better than a beautiful view of the maritime city where their love first blossomed? I can think of no better place than Summerford. Meet me near the top of the Skylift. I know a nice little spot with a beautiful view of Limsa.”

They agreed to meet there before sundown and they parted ways there.

Claire took her time in returning to Limsa, deciding to give Paiyo Reiyo the time he needed. She took the long way back, stepping down further south until she left the forest behind and the sands of Thanalan appeared before her. She decided she would return to the city and take an airship there…. Hopefully that would be enough time to finish preparing.

She briefly wondered if he would be inviting anyone to this, but then again, she found that doubtful since it was never stated that either Edda or Avere had any family or other friends.

It was sad, but she let the matter go as she continued on her journey. She did wonder more of Edda’s relationship with Avere and wondered if it had been as perfect as she had made it out to be. He seemed to have been rather cold and standoffish to her during those few times she saw them outside the dungeons. Perhaps there was more to him than she thought, but still, she knew that Avere was lucky in one way to have someone who was so devoted and loved him so dearly.

Without warning, a pair of bright blue eyes and snow white hair entered her mind and she actually stopped in her steps, taken completely aback by that thought. She gave her head a hard shake, startled that she would be thinking of Alphinaud right now. She sighed, just reminding herself that she did know that she promised that she would be back by now, but she hoped that he would be understanding.

She would apologize to him and Tataru when she got back.

The journey was uneventful and she arrived in Ul’dah and took the first airship to Limsa. She headed straight over to Middle La Noscea—pausing only to take slight detour in the markets where she bought a small bouquet of flowers, preparing herself for what she would say during this small remembrance.

She ran into Paiyo Reiyo along the cliffs that overlooked the city and the ocean before he greeted her. In his hands was an elaborated box that she knew must contained the rings, and he had just finished digging a hole that was just large enough for the box when she arrived.

He set the box down before he turned his attention back to the view and stared at the city fondly for a few long minutes.

“Would you look at that? It brings back such fond memories,” he said rather sadly. But he clapped his hands together and piped up, “Now, let us offer up our prayers to the dearly departed.”

Together they buried the two rings together and she set the bouquet of flowers upon the grave before the pair of them knelt and began to pray.

She gave a small prayer, hoping that Edda was finally having the wedding she had dreamt of in the next life… that she no longer was alone. It was small and simple, but already she felt the weight of sadness fade a little from the enormous guilt that weighed heavily upon her heart.

The sun was setting at this point and cast the entire sky aflame with pink and red with a touch of gold along the horizon; sparking off the water as if it had turned into a sea of gems. She was sure that Edda would have loved it.

When they finished and stood up, Paiyo Reiyo looked down sadly at the small grave.

“Even in death they suffered together, down there in the dark. Avere, Edda... I pray you sleep, and finally know true peace,” he said mournfully before looking up to her with a grateful expression. “And with that, I believe we're finished here. Already I can feel a great weight has been lifted from my mind. Perhaps I may even enjoy a good night's rest.”

He certainly looked like he needed it. The dark circles under his eyes was giving him the appearance of a corpse himself, but already it looked like he had been reborn as a new man… there was a new life in him that hadn’t been there before and he was smiling as if completely at ease with the world around him.

“Words cannot express my gratitude, Claire. You've seen me through much, and shown me what it means to be an adventurer,” he told her gratefully, “Our party lacked unity, and paid dearly for it. No one should suffer as they did, and I will do all I can to see other would-be heroes do not succumb to such a fate.”

She nodded, fully supporting his decision as he blushed a little at his own words.

“I only wish that there was more I could do to help,” she said, but he waved his hand at her, brushing that off as he reassured her that she did more than enough. She was grateful for that and promised herself that she will do her best to remember that. At least this nightmare was over and they could take comfort in that.

He briefly mentioned that he planned to return to Ul’dah and see if he could get a job at the Quicksand or something and help out Momodi with young, would-be adventurers. He didn’t know when they would meet again, yet if this was to be the last time they meet, he promised that he would always keep her in his prayers and wished her the best of luck on her travels.

“And I wish the same for you,” she told him and he smiled back.

He gave her a bow and headed off towards the city, now walking upright. She gave a slight chuckle before looking to the grave once more. It wasn’t much, but she did hope that it would be enough.

“I won’t forget,” she whispered, “I promise you that.”

So, with a deep breath, she turned around and made to leave. But as she did so, a slight breeze picked up from the ocean and she felt it brush past her… almost like a caress as she heard a whisper upon the wind: _“...Thank you...”_

Claire stopped dead in her tracks, stunned at what she could have sworn that she heard, and spun around to look back to the city… but seeing no one else there. But that was ok. For Claire found herself smiling once more, watching how a few flower petals from the bouquet had been lifted off the stems and spun about in the air before disappearing over the water.

“You’re welcome,” she said before turning and leaving.

After all. She made the girl a promise and she was glad that she was able to keep it in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (And that’s it! Thank you all so much for joining me on this quick story. I had been playing through the POTD lately and I was filled with an urge to write out this story and before I knew it, I had it finished. What did you all think? Though Edda’s ending was bittersweet, I am satisfied. Anyway, felt that I desperately needed a break from my other stories and did something small and fun. It was a much welcomed relief. And in case you are wondering, my Bringer of Nightfall is halfway finished with the next chapter and should be coming up this week. In the meantime, do any of you have any suggestions for a story that you would like me to write for you from the lands of Eorzea? Could be any kind of story suggestion so long as it’s not unreasonably long. And before you ask, yes I am planning on doing the Binding Coils soon. I am actually waiting until after 5.3 to start working on it and the first chapter will be going up after I finish either my Bringers of Shadows or Rebirth of a Realm stories… one or the other. But if you have any other requests I would love to hear them! Also looking for requests for any AU stories. I was wondering how else I could completely change things around like how I did in my story with vampires XD. Anyway, thanks again!)

**Author's Note:**

> (What do you think? I recently revisited the Palace of the Dead and this had to be one of the saddest but most interesting stories that I had played in the game and I thought that while I had some time, take a break from the other stories and do a short one here. This story is only three chapters long and so the next two chapters should be coming out soon. I hope you liked it and if you didn’t cry when you learned of Edda’s Fate, then you have no soul. Alright, thanks so much for reading and I hope that you will be looking forward to the other two chapters.)


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